Roofing.



C. RUSSELL.

ROOPING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1912.

Patented Feb. 1'?, 1914.

wiftmaooeo UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CALVIN' RUSSELL, OF PENN YAN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CARRIE H. RUSSELL, OF PENN YAN, NEW YORK.

BOOFING.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

Application led J' une 20, 1912. Serial No. 704,712.

ments in roofing, and consists of certain im rovementswhich are fully set forth in the ollowing specification and shown in the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof.

The object of my invention is to`provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive construction of roong which may be sold in parts andeasily applied by any person of ordinary intelligence, and which moreover, will be durable and thoroughly effective in providing a water tight roof. In a roof of this character, the main covering or body portions are provided in long strips and supplied tothe consumer in rolls, and the means employed in connection with the overlapping seams formed by the main roofing sheets, is .also provided in 'long strips rolled upon themselves. The materials thus provided are ready for application by simply cutting off the lengths required and joining the two overlapping edges of the main roofing sheets by the sea-In strip when applied in a definite manner to be hereinafter described, and the seam thus formed secured in position upon the wooden foundation by at headed nails.

Heretofore, rooting has been made by over- "lapping the edges of sheets o-f suitable material and connecting them by use of a strip of sheet metal bent back and forth to form oppositely directed grooves into which the edges of the roofing sheets extend and the sheet metal then nailed to the roong sheets and wooden roof foundation, but this did not provide a tight joint as the water would work around and under the bends of the metal and between the metal layers and roofing sheets and the wind was free to enter under the layers of the metal strip and force open the seam. Such seams are never tight and always deteriorate rapidly by use, not only by rusting out of the metal but also because of the loose nature of the seam as a whole. My improved seam entirely overcomes these defects by forming a close cemented seam and one that no wind can enter; moreover, the seam improves with use owing to reasons fully stated hereinafter.

- My invention consists of certain improvements which are fully described hereinafter` and more particularly defined in the claims; and said improvements will be .more readily understood by reference'to the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a cross section of a portion of a roof, illustrating my improved roof structure taken at a seam; Fig. 2 is a plan View of the 'same at a portion of the seam; Fig. 3 is an edge view illustrating the manner of forming the seamat the overlapping edges of the roofing sheets; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the seam forming strip; Fig. 5 is a cross section of the same on line and Fig. 6 is a cross section corresponding to Fig. 1, but showing a modification of my invention.

2 represents the board rooting structure of the building, and upon this is nailed my improved roof covering by the use of the flatheaded nails 7 along the lines of the seams. This roofing consists of rooting sheets 3 and 4 which are usually three feet wide and of th'e total length of the surface to be covered, so that the only seams required between such strips 3 and 4 are the lapped seams which are made in the special manner indicated in the drawings and described hereinafter. These seams may run horizontally of the roof or vertically, or at any angle according -to the particular requirements or conditions under which the roof covering is to be applied.

The roofing sheets 3 and 4 may be of 'any suitable material having flexibility, but that which I prefer is a thick felt sheet built up of a number of layers of paper impregnated with asphaltum, so as to make it impervious to water and yet yielding, and the surface preferably coated with a fire-proof layer of cement. This composition of roofing material is well known in the art and will need no further description. The edges of the-adjacent strips of the roofing sheets 3 and 4 are overlapped, as indicated in Fig. 1, and the overlapped portions are united by the binder or seam strip 6 which is formed with return bends to provide three parallel layers and two sockets, into which latter the edges of the roofing sheets 3 and 4 extend. This binder strip 6 is formed of felt paper of relatively small thickness, also impregnated with asphaltum, so as to adhere to the roofing sheets when nailed down and subjected to the heat of the sun and is bent at 8 and 9 in opposite directions to form the three layers comprising the middle layer 6, the bottom layer 6b, and the top layer 6, which in the finished seam assume parallel positions and tightly bear upon and adhere to the faces of the roofing strips adjacent to their lapping edges.

The bends 8 and 9 are preferably so formed as to make the outer layers 6* and 6 slightly wider -than the middle layer 6, so that when these layers assume the final condition in the finished seam (Fig. l), the edges 11 of the top and bottom layers 6c and 6* extend beyond the bends 8 and 9. The

result of this is that when the seams run horizontally or in angular positions, the layer 6* next to the roof boards 2 will have its upper edge ll extending higher than the bend 9, so that should any water find its way between the middle layer 6*@L and the roofing sheet 3, it will overflow the bend 9 on the outside of the roof rather than `work its way up over the edge 11, this edge being at a higher elevation than the bend 9. By having both the top and bottom layers 6* and 6c of greater length than the middle layer 6a, it will not then be necessary to use any particular care as to which layer of the strip is arranged on bottom, but it is evident that, if desired, the outer layer 6* need not extend beyond the lower bend 8. That is to say, one of the outer layers may be wider than the middle layer 6a, and the other narrower, as indicated in Fig. 6, in which case the rooiin sheet 3 is overlapped upon the outside o the roofing sheet 4, instead of under it as shown in Fig. 1. In this case, yany Water which might pass under the outer layer 6* will overflow at the upper edge 11, because that edge is lower than the bend 8 it being understood in this case that the bin er strip has been inverted to suit the new arrangement of the overlapping of the roofing sheet.

When the roofing is laid with the seams running from the ridge down to the eaves in a. vertical plane, no special difficulties will arise, but when the seams are arranged horizontally or at slight angles, it is important to guard, in every way, against the inflow of water, and this may be in a measure accomplished by means of the employment of layers of different lengths in the zig-zag binder strip. In other words, if the outside edge 11a of Fig. 6 does not extend out to the bend 8, or if the inside edge 11 of Fig. 1, extends beyond the bend 9, the same general results will be accomplished, according to whether the layer 3 is lapped over the layer 4, as in Fig. 6, or under it, as in Fig. 1,

tween rolls or in any suitable manner to provide the oppositely directed creases 10 (Figs. 4 and 5), and in this way, the user could not make a mistake in folding this binder strip. As shown in Figs. 4and 5, these oppositely directed creases 1() divide the strip 6 into three portions, namely, the middle port-ion and the two outer portions, which latter are folded by bending the 4strip in the directions indicated by the arrows in Fig. 5, that is in opposite directions, to provide the zig-zag or reverse folds, more clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. Whether the edges 11 extend beyond the bends 8 and 9, as in Fig. 1, or whether theedge 11a does not extend out as far as the bend 8, as in Fig. 6, willdepend upon the posit-ions of the creases 10, and I do not restrict myself in this respect. Furthermore, while I 'have shown the creases 10 on opposite sides, it is revident that they might be on the same side,

though this would not be quite as satisfactory as having them upon opposite sides.

Furthermore, it is evident that these creases may be dispensed with, `and other suitable manner of folding the binder strip 6 resorted to. A binder strip of this characterv may beV rolled up in its flat condition and conveniently shipped to place of use and then bent by the user.

IVhile the covering or roofing sheets 3 and 4 are of felt material impregnated with asphaltum and the binder strip 6 is of felt paper or fibrous material also impregnated with asphaltum, these are not so sticky or tacky as to interfere in any way with being rolled up for shipment or handling at normal temperatures, but when the seam is completed and the layers 3 and 4 are tightly bound together by the binder 6 and definitely positioned and clamped by the nails 7, the action of the suns heat soon raises the temperature of the seam, so that the asphaltum of the sheets and binder works or flows to the contacting surfaces in such quantities that the asphaltum of the said contacting parts becomes thoroughly united over all of the surfaces of the binder strip which is in contact with the roong sheets or layers 3 and 4, that is upon both surfaces of the middle portion 6a, and upon the inner surface of the portions 6*D and 6. In this way, I have the bends 8 and 9 of the binder strip extending around the edges of the roofing sheets 3 and 4 and layers of the binder on each side of such bends adhering to both surfaces of the roofing sheets, so that said sheets are firmly held down at their edges, and the wind cannot get under and force up said edges to open the seam. By the zig-zag or reverse bends of the binder strip, the two edges of the roofing sheets are firmly cemented together and a thoroughly water and wind tight seam is secured. This seam improves in use, as the heating by the sun continually bakes the asphaltum which unites the layers, portions of which asphaltum come from the different layers.

In applying the nails 7, I prefer to place them near the bends of the binder, and moreover, arrange them in staggered form, as indicated in Fig. 2, as this willhold the seam tighter with a given number of nails per unit of length than any other arrangement. These nails are made with wide flat heads, so as to firmly hold the seam and clamp the parts together without cutting into them.

In some cases, it is desirable that the seam shall be reinforced to the extent of cementing the edges of the roofing sheets 3 and 4 in the immediate bends of the binder strip. This is indicated in Fig. 3,1in which the groove or channel formed at these bends 8 and 9 is provided with asphaltum cement or other equivalent water-proof cement which closely unites the edges of the sheets 3 and 4e to the binder strip at its bent portions.- 'In Fig. 3, the parts are indicated in the process of forming theseam, and. for more readily indicating the general structure of the seam.

While I'prefer to employ felt paper impregnated with asphaltum as the binder between the lapped roofing sheets for providing the water tight seam, I do not limit myself to this particular character. of water proof material, but it should, in any event, be flexible and yielding as' distinguished from a metal and embodying a fibrous character capableA of absorbing and becoming thoroughly impregnated with the Water proof material, such as asphaltum.

Iaving now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a roof, the combination of a board foundation with a covering, consisting of two roofing sheets of-Water-proof material having their adjacent edges overlapping, a binderstrip of fibrous material impregnated with asphaltum and bent upon itself with return bends to form'three parallel layers and oppositely directed dee sockets into which the edges of the roongfsheets are snugly received, and caused to adhere by the cementing action of the asphaltum and'nails extending through the lapped portions of the roofing sheets and the binder strip adjacent to each of the return bends thereof, the construction being such that the upper roofing sheet is cemented between the middle and upper layers of the binder strip and the lower roofing sheet is cemented between the middle and lower layers of the binder strip so that they are bound together vwith a water tight joint.

stri and rovidinv' stick surfaces under' P P e pressure and heat of the sun, said strip further having its edges bent back upon itself to provide oppositely directed socket portions into which the edges of the roofing sheets extend and by which the lapped portions thereof are separated and their edges inclosed, and means for clamping the several layers of the roofing sheets and binder strip firmly together adjacent to the bends of the binder strip which form the bottoms of the socket portions, the exudations of the hydro-carbon material of the flexible binder strip and of the asphaltum of the overlapping edges of the roofingl sheets caused by pressure of the clamping means vand heat of the suns rays forming a firm and watertight union between the said roofing sheets and the opposite surfaces of the binder strip throughout their contacting surfaces, y

3. As an improved article of manufacture, a binder strip for ceinenting together the overlapping edges of roofing sheets, consisting of felt material impregnated with asphaltum bent upon itself to provide return bends and to form three parallel layers with oppositely directed deep sockets between them into which the roofing sheets may be snugly received, ,the asphaltum under nor'- mal tempera ture being insullicient at the surface to\provde a stickiness but which under pressure and the action of heat due to the suns ryS and confined heated air between the folds will exude sufficiently to provide a sticky'waterproof-surface capable of adhering to the roofing sheets and cementing the 'oint.

J In testimony of which invention, I `hereunto set my hand.

I-IENRY RUSSELL. 

